Put your questions to Joe Costello, Labour's spokesperson on Europe

Darragh

Hey there

Joe Costello is the Labour Party's spokesperson on European Affairs and his thoughts on Lisbon are published here.

He is inviting Boards.ie members to put their questions to him about the Lisbon Treaty and about why the Irish Labour Party believes you should vote yes to Lisbon.


Some of the questions I wish to put to him are:

• Why should I vote yes?
• What benefit, if any, to Ireland will it be if there is a YES vote?
• What happens if the majority vote NO again?

Post your questions, if any, below and I will put your questions to him in a video interview.

Thanks

Darragh

Darragh

Really? Nobody has any questions for the spokesperson for one of the biggest political parties in the country?

castie

Does no mean no? or another spin of the wheel? this time around...

moondogspot

I thought the Lisbon Treaty was dead, well at least I thought so when Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore said the following after the last vote :

"I think the Lisbon Treaty is dead. The Lisbon Treaty to be ratified requires 27 Member States to ratify it. The Irish people have now decided in a Referendum that they do not wish to have it ratified therefore Ireland cannot ratify the Lisbon Treaty and therefore the Lisbon Treaty falls" - Eamon Gilmore (RTE SixOne News on 13/6/08)

“I don't think there's any question of this Treaty being put a second time to the people” - Eamon Gilmore (RTE SixOne News on 13/6/08)

a) Is it not hypocritical of the Labour Party to now be out campaigning for a Yes vote in light of those comments?
b) According to Eamon Gilmore there was no question of this rejected Treaty being put before the people again.. then why is it?

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0613/eulisbonreax_av.html?2387274,null,230

Lockstep

Is there any truth to the claims that a Yes vote will increase liberalisation of state services?

Given how often the Laval/Vaxholm cases are brought up, what are Labour's opinions on the rulings, and do they feel that the Lisbon Treaty will change such outcomes in any way?

castie

Best out of three if its a Yes vote?

ArmaniJeanss

Bearing in mind the misinformation and dirty tricks (imo) that have been put out by the No side, does he think that referenda are a good idea, or would a method of ratification similar to the other members of the EU be better?

Will it ever be possible for an EU referendum to pass 'first time' in Ireland again? Even as a committed Yes voter to Maastricht, Nice and Lisbon, I'll be tempted next time by the inevitable 'Vote No and we'll get a better deal for the sequel' campaign which will be ran.

BlitzKrieg

Does the labour party see Lisbon as a way for them to keep the government in check on european matters with the new powers being bestowed to the national parliaments and the european parliament.

Recently Kieran Allen stated that siptu's support of Lisbon was not consulted with its members and that Labour prompeted this by a commitment to legislate on collective bargaining if they were in government. Can you clarify Labour's position to these statements.

Where does Labour and the PES hope that Lisbon will take the European Union and does the recent uptake in right wing meps and governments not give them cause to worry that they might take lisbon in the wrong direction?

super_furry

In what way will the Lisbon treaty most impact the Irish worker?

My name is URL

How do you feel about the poster campaigns from both sides?

Would you agree that a certain amount of scaremongering by parties has taken place in the run up to this referendum?

Raiser

I'm not sure why exactly, but I'm delighted to see this thread crop up here, I know that Prime Time showed good judgement also and acknowledged the ever growing numbers and culture of Boards.ie - I personally think that this approach will soon become commonplace.

You will so often see great Political discussion raging on Boards.ie, both inside and out of the Politics Forum and for me its a demonstration of the notion that all Politics are local and few people are actually apolitical - sometimes despite their own opinion of themselves.

Its also nice to see 'actual' Politicians entering the fray and perhaps meeting some well considered debate head on - so thanks Joe & I hope the platform serves you us well!

I'm not sure why there hasn't been a better response, but hopefully it will pick up from here - I will say that while I never visit the European Union sub-forum - I keep a close eye on the Politics forum, and I'm sure that's commonplace - so maybe don't hold the next one in a Backwater

Questions for Joe:

1. Do you fear the spectre of a West Brit, right wing, painfully religious Charlatan spending millions of West Point Dollars attempting to push a specific but unknown agenda purely on the basis that Lisbon is a point of leverage that can only be exploited via manipulating the minds of the voting Populace of Eire?

2. STERLING. WTF? Why in the name of the Duke, Laird, and Morris Dancer of John O'Groats are our neighbours allowed to seemingly fully participate in the EU while fecking up stymieing one of its most basic principles?

Then at the same time we are expected to swallow policy like a stubborn Toddler strapped down in a high chair.......*

*I accept that point two may have an obvious answer [Does it?] But it bothers me beyond belief....

3. This question is probably unfair as its off the agenda - disregard it if you like.......

Are you dismayed by the docility of our People in the face of our daily horror-fest of political coverage?

Do you think that when we have more than 500,000 people unemployed that perhaps 10 or 20 of them will find the time to demonstrate/protest/scorn the idiots responsible and basically voice their disapproval? I'd like to think that once my job goes that I'd follow Fianna Failure and the Vegetables Party to every Champagne drenched, Prawn quaffing VIP lunch and shout facts at them - just by way of education......

K-9

How can I follow that?

Can you give examples of how the EU affects us now, not in the usual negative sense we all hear, but in a positive sense.

I don't think you realised what you let yourself in for here, but you will get different opinions!

PS. Examples that effect day to day life.

ei.sdraob

I have a question for him (disclosure i gave preference to Lab in last locals)


Q. Why are your members sticking their mugs on Lisbon posters? Have yee not learned any lessons from 2008?

Darragh

I'll be meeting Joe later this afternoon for approximately 15 to 20 minutes so will put as many questions as I can to him in the time he has available.

Thanks for all your input and keep 'em coming!

Darragh

projectmayhem

If a "Yes" vote happens (and I am a Yes voter), what's stopping big companies that Ireland has relied on for employment (particularly in the IT sector) from simply going to the cheaper countries in eastern Europe (Poland, Slovakia, etc.)?

Also, where does Labour see Europe going in the next 10-20 years time, in a Lisbon-ratified sense versus a non-ratified sense (for Ireland)?

Euro_Kraut

What is the most convincing argument he has heard for voting NO?

Which campaigner on the NO side impresses him most?

Darragh

Thank you all for your questions.

I met Joe yesterday - he had just returned from Dundalk and was on the way out to do more campaigning - but I had a good 20 minutes where I put as many questions as I could to him.

I've started a new post here about it - http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055696712

Thanks all for your input. The more of these we do, the more we'll get to do, as politicians, campaigners and parties see the value in engaging with Boards.ie.

Your comments are welcome as always.

Darragh

Euro_Kraut

Fair play Darragh,

When do we get to see the interveiw?

ei.sdraob

Euro_Kraut wrote: »

Fair play Darragh,

When do we get to see the interveiw?

you can do so already

video linked from

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055695035

MrMatisse

Hi Joe,
i am a little concerned that this treaty is trying to insert a federal europe by the back door as per the two articles in my sig.

I dont have a problem with this but i feel that people are being dishonest when they deny that this is one of the goals of many at the heart of these projects.

I would be very interested in your views on this as i am usually, a Labour voter.

Darragh

Euro_Kraut wrote: »

Fair play Darragh, When do we get to see the interveiw?

Sorry! Forgot to include the link. Done so now.

Darragh

Really-Stressed wrote: »

Hi Joe,
i am a little concerned that this treaty is trying to insert a federal europe by the back door as per the two articles in my sig.

I dont have a problem with this but i feel that people are being dishonest when they deny that this is one of the goals of many at the heart of these projects.

I would be very interested in your views on this as i am usually, a Labour voter.

Thanks for the question but I'm afraid the Q&A with Joe was yesterday, so you've missed out. However the full interview can be found here:

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055696712

Thanks again,

Darragh